Gas-producer



Patented Aug. 23, I898.

No. 609,76l.

P. ENGLISH.

GAS PRODUCER.

(Applitmfion filed May 1, 1897.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

WZIZJVESSES m: nonms PETERS ca. wowumu. \vAsmNGTON. u. c.

No. 609 761. 4 Patent P. amausu.

GAS PRODUCER.

(Application filed. May 1, 1897.)

(No M d 0 el) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WIZWESSES l/vwm Toie 1 k Mz L114.

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THE cams PETERS 00., PHOTO-THO WASHINGTON n c No. 609,76l. Patented Aug.23, I898.

P. ENGLISH.

GAS PRODUCER.

(Application filed. May 1, 1897.)

(No Mme") 3 Sheets-Sheet 3- W'IZWESSES 62 [.VVENTOi? W Q By WWI/MIINrTED STATES. 7

PATENT OFFICE.

PETER ENGLISH, OF BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOGEORGE H. PAINE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

GAS-PRODUCER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 609,761, dated August23, 1898.

Application filed May 1,1897. Serial No. 634,709. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PETER ENGLISH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Benton Harbor, county of Berrien, State of Michigan, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Gas-Producers; and Ideclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to gas-producers, and has for its object animproved gas-producing apparatus in which the production of gas can becarried on continuously from either coal and oil or from coal anddecomposed steam and oil and in which I am able to make use of a qualityof soft coal that has been heretofore found practically impossible touse for the production of gas of this character.

The coal I employ is first divided into very fine powder and is fed as afine powder continuously or as fast as may be required into the top of aproducer-chamber that is kept filled or nearly filled with theincandescent coal, and the apparatus is arranged to intro duce air intothe mass of incandescent coal in different ways in accordance with theresults which are desired. For primary coinbustion and primary heatingof the fixingchambers the air is admitted into the producer-chamberabove the grate above the coal and into the space above the mass ofcoal, and also at the time of the primary heating of the fixing-chambera secondary blast of air is admitted into what I term a secondarycombustion-chamber and there unites with the products of combustion,adding an additional volume of oxygen to them and producing a secondcombustion,which is continued during the process of primary heating ofthe fixing chamber. After the fixing chamber has been primarily heatedsteam is admitted through the same blast months through which thesecondary supply of air was admitted, and the steam is directed throughthe primary or producer chamber, and gaseous products formed by thisprocess are conducted into the fixing-chamber and there enriched by theintroduction of oil and fixed.

I also employ in the fixing-chamber a stackwork or checker-work of barsof iron.

In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation showing the furnaceand two fixingchambers. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing itfilled with coal to the point to which it is usually kept filled whenthe producer is in action. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the furnace. Fig. 4:is a section across the top of the furnace at the line where theoutlet-flue from the furnace leads to the fixing-chamber.

The furnace is constructed with an iron casing 1, within which is aheavybrick lining 2, divided into chambers and fiues,0f which the central orproducer chamber is indicated at 10. Around the central or producerchamber is an annular chamber 3, spaced from the producer byapartition-wall 2. Around the producer-chamber and between it and thesecond ary combustion-chamber 3 and near the top of the division-wallbetween these two chambers is athird chamber 4, into which there leads ablast-pipe 5 from without the 'furnace. From the chamber 4: there leadsdownward a number of fines 4:, each one of which opens into a fine 3which connects the producer-chamber 10 with the secondarycombustion-chamber 3. There are a number of these connecting fines 3,and they lead slightly upward from the producer-chamber 10 to thesecondary combustion-chamber 3, leaving the producer chamber at pointssomewhat above the fire-grate 6, but near the bot tom of theproducer-chamber and entering the combustion-chamber 3 at the bottom ofthat chamber. Into the producer-chamber 10 below the grating leads anair-blast inlet 7, and above the grating and preferably almost at thetop of the chamber there leads another air-blast opening 5. Out from thetop of the central chamber there leads a flue 10, the purpose of whichis to carry off to the fixing-chamber the produced gases. Out from thetop of the annular or secondary combustion-chamber 3 there leads a line3, the purpose of which is to carry off the prod nets of combustion fromthe chamber 3 to the fixing-chamber. The two fines 10 and 3 unite orlead into a common flue 10", that .opens into the fixing-chamber. Duringthe first part of their course, however, they are separated by apartition 9, at the end of which there is a wing-valve 9, that can beturned at will to close either of the fiues 10 or 3, and the valve 9 ischanged in accord ance with the results that are to be attained from thecombustion of the. coal, being placed in one position during the primaryheating of the fixing-chamber and in the other position after thefixing-chamber has been heated and when it is being utilized for thepurpose of fixing the produced gas.

Into the top of the producer-chamber 10 opens the mouth of a coal-chuteA, that leads from a hopper B. Between the hopper and the chute is aslide-valve b,that can be opened for the admission ofcoal and closedafter a supply of coal has been delivered into the upper part of thechute A. The upper part of the chute A is a receptacle of capacitysufficient to' hold a quantity of coal, and at the lower part of thechute and within it are located a pair of grinding or crushing rolls 0C. All the coal entering the prod ucer-chamber 10 passes between thesecrushing-rolls and is ground or pulverized to a very fine powder. Therolls are geared together by gearing a and are actuated by a shaft a anda driving-wheel a, which receives motion from any convenient source ofpower.

Into the fixing chamber D, above the checker-work of iron bars 11, is anoil-inlet tube 11 and an air-blast inlet 11 and above the door ispreferably a hood, the purpose of which is to convey away products ofcombustion during the very first part of the firing and heating of thefixing-chamber. A second fixing-chamber E has an air-blast inlet 12 nearthe bottom of the checker-Work of iron bars leading into that portion ofthe space which first receives the gaseous products coming from thefirst fixing-chamber. This second chamber E also has a cover andpreferably has above it a hood (not shown in the drawings) to conveyaway products of combustion during the first part or initial heatin g ofthe fixing-chamber. This second chamber E is provided with a gas-outlet12 through which passes out the gas that has been produced, either foruse or for scrubbing or cleansing, if desired.

The furnace is provided with the proper ash-pit door 8. Thefixing-chambers are preferably constructed in a similar manner to thefurnace, with an outer sheet of iron lined with a suitable refractorymaterial.

The process of starting and subsequently producing gas in this furnaceis as follows: A sufficient quantity of coal is fed into theproducer-chamber 10 and fired. The damper 9 is turned to close thepassage-way 10 and open the passage way 3. The blast 5 is opened and ablast of air admitted through the coal. The products of combustion nowpass into the secondary combustion-chamber duits 4:.

3, and during their progress through the flues "3 are met by a second orauxiliary blast of air that comes from the blast 5 through the annularchamber 4 through the several con- The first door 11 is only allowed toremain open for a short time, while the gases passing into thefixing-chamber are so cool that they will not combine. As soon as thegases passing in are hot enough to combine this door is closed and thedoor 12 is opened and remains open until the checkerwork becomes heatedto the proper heat to fix the gas. As soon as this takes place the valve9 is turned to close the passage-way 3, the blast 5 is closed, the blast7 beneath the grate is opened, and steam instead of air is turned inthrough the blast 5. Inasmuch as the only escape for the products ofcombustion from the furnace is now through the flue 10*,the steamentering the chamber 4 from the blast 5 passes down through the conduits4 and into the producer-chamber instead of into the secondcombustion-chamber. The steam passing into the producerchamber passes upthrough the incandescent coal and the gases produced mingle with aquantity of free coal-gas from the coking-coal at the surface and passinto the now highly-heated fiX- ing-chamber, where there is thrown intothe combined gas a quantity of oil through the oilpipe 11 and it issubmitted with the vaporized oil to the action of the highly-heated ironchecker-work both in this fixing-chamber and in the secondfixing-chamber E, and emerges from the second fixing-chamber E ready tobe further treated, but in a proper chemical condition for combustion.The subsequent treatment of the gas in the way of washing it orscrubbing it does not differ from the processes heretofore used. Withproper handling of the furnace the action may now be made continuous.If, however, the fixing-chamber should become so cool that it will nolonger serve to fix the gas passing through it, the process cle scribedfor initial heating is repeated or partially repeated by changing thedirection of escape of the gas from the producer-chamber and changingthe blasts, so as to cause combustion in the second combustion-chamber 3until the reheating has been accomplished.

It will be noticed that the bed of coal from which the gas has beendriven off is utilized to heat the fixingchamber whenever it becomesnecessary to reheat that chamber; also, the heat from the coke-bed isused to drive ofi the gases from the newly-introduced coal. Thus themachine makes its own coke.

What I claim is 1. In a gas-producer the combination of a producerchamber adapted to be filled with coal, an annular combustion-chambersurrounding the producer-chamber, fiues leading from theproducer-chamber to the bottom of the annular chamber, inlet pipes forair or steam leading through the 'wall between the two chambers andadapted to deliver a supply of air or steam, and means whereby the airor steam can be directed through either of said chambers, substantiallyas described.

2. In a gas-producer, the combination of a producer chamber providedwith a suitable blast-inlet and a suitable outlet communicating withboth the top and bottom of the producer-chamber, a system of steam orair inlet flues in the Wall surrounding the producerchamber, a valveadapted to direct the air at will either through the producer-chamber orinto the outlet from the producer chamber, substantially as described,

3. In combination with a producer-chamber provided with a suitableblast-inlet and with a common outlet communicating with both the top andbottom of the producer-chamber, an annular chamber arranged to receive asupply of steam, fiues leading from the annular chamber into that partof the outlet that communicates with the bottom of the producer chamber,and a valve arranged in the common outlet to direct steam either throughthe producer-chamber or into the outlet therefrom, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a gas-producer, the combination of a producer-chamber, an annularchamber surrounding the producer-chamber and communicating with theproducer-chamber near the bottom thereof, an annular steam or air chamber in the wall between the producer-chamber and the annular chambersurrounding the producer chamber, flues leading from the steam or airchamber and arranged to deliver steam or air into the communicatingpassages between the producer-chamber and the annular chamber,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

' PETER ENGLISH. Witnesses:

CHARLES F. BURTON, VIRGINIA M. CLoUeH.

